SWNOVELS Chapter SECOND COUSIN
Bella:
"Attention campers! Attention campers!"
The voice of the camp director came through the public address system in the middle of the campgrounds, followed by a siren that made me jump out of bed, my knees hitting the floor hard.
For a moment, I stayed like that, covering my ears with both hands, silently cursing the man. Did he have a problem with sleep? I wondered.
"Can we catch a fucking break?" Hazel groaned, throwing a pillow over her head.
The siren stopped, and I pushed myself up, just as a knock came at the door. Slowly, I made my way over, rubbing my eyes, trying to wipe away the remnants of sleep. When I opened it, Kai stood there.
"We wanted to be sure you guys were awake. We have to prepare for the day," he said.
My brows furrowed. The siren was loud enough to wake someone who'd been dead for a thousand years. Picking a fight would've been easy, but something in me chose peace. I muttered an "Okay," then shut the door.
Hazel got up, quickly making her bed, and we started getting ready for the day.
**
Before long, we were dressed in our camp uniforms-a shirt with the school logo, neutral-colored cargo shorts, and boots. We stood in front of our cabin, just like the other students, waiting for instructions. The camp master assigned to Howlstone stood in the middle of the group.
"Today marks the beginning of camp, and the contest will begin immediately after breakfast," he announced, pacing slowly around. "If you check the manual left on your bed, you'll see the order of events and the safety measures to minimize injury."
I yawned as he droned on, leaning back against Finn, letting my head rest on his shoulder. The orientation was agonizing, and I needed it to end.
You may go to the hall for breakfast," the camp master finally said.
I stood up straight, letting out a sigh of relief. We all made our way to the dining hall with the rest of the students. The hall was massive, filled with round tables that seated six each. A large counter with about thirty workers stood ready to serve us.
As we neared the counter, Hazel looped her arm through mine, slowing me down while the triplets walked ahead. "Riley texted last night," she whispered.
Suddenly, all the hatred I harbored for the camp disappeared as I turned to her, eager to hear more.
"Well, it was just small talk. He plays football, and look at this..." She pulled out her phone, showing me a shirtless picture of Riley. "I couldn't stop picturing him in my sleep. He's so hot."
I nodded, grinning in agreement as we shared a laugh, which caught the attention of the triplets, causing us to pause.
After getting our food, we found a table within the zone where our schoolmates were sitting.
As we sat down, placing our trays on the table, we started eating, chatting about random things. Suddenly, Hazel's phone beeped, and I couldn't help but peek. It was a message from Riley: "At the food hall, where are you?" She glanced at me with a smile on her face.
"Are we still talking about the hot guy?" Ryder asked, and I quickly shoved a spoonful of food into my mouth, trying to keep a straight face.
"Is this seat taken?" a familiar voice asked. We all looked up to see Tyler standing with a tray in his hands.
I darted a glance at Ryder, whose face lit up, and I sighed in relief.
"Tyler!" Ryder exclaimed. "The seat's free; you can have it.'
11
Tyler sat down between Finn and Kai, placing his tray on the table.
"Hey," Tyler said to me from across the table.
I gave him a big smile. "Hey."
Ryder cleared his throat. "Let me introduce you," he began. "You already know Bella, my mate. Then the twins, Kai and Finn, my best friends whom I share a mate with." He patted Kai's shoulder, then pointed to Finn. "Lastly, we have Hazel, our best friend."
Hazel blushed, her face turning pink.
"Everyone, this is Tyler, my brother," Ryder said, and I held my breath, remembering what happened last time. "It's nice to meet you all," Tyler said politely.
The awkwardness I'd expected to hang over the table disappeared as they dove into conversations about video games and boy stuff. I quickly lost interest, letting my gaze wander around the room-until it landed on something I wished it hadn't.
Just a few tables away, Riley stood talking to Fae. My stomach churned as I nudged Hazel's hand.
"You probably don't want to know where Riley is right now," I whispered.
She followed my gaze, and her hands clenched into fists. I gently took her hand and rubbed it.
"Is the camp already going south?" Finn asked, and the group's attention turned to Riley and Fae, who appeared to be arguing, their faces scrunched in frustration.
Riley slammed his hand on the table before storming off, leaving Hazel to take a deep breath.
"At least he's gone," she muttered, and we focused on our food.
After breakfast, we headed to the camping grounds, where the order of the day's games was about to be announced. While we stood waiting, Riley walked toward us.
"We should leave," Hazel said quietly, and I nodded, turning to walk away with her. The triplets noticed and followed our movement.
"Hazel!" Riley called, grabbing her hand. She spun around to face him, her expression cold.
His eyes were just as stunning as they had been yesterday, but the fact he was involved with Fae nagged at her. "What?" she asked in an icy tone, making Riley's eyes widen.
"Did I do something wrong? I already apologized for falling asleep last night," he said, rubbing the back of his neck nervously.
"Don't act nice, Riley. You know Fae, and anyone who's friends with her is-"
"Fae isn't my friend," he interrupted. "She's my second cousin."